Bottle opener with magnetic cap retainer



Sept. 11, 1956 w. E. GUNDELFINGER BOTTLE OPENER WITH MAGNETIC CAP RETAINER Filed March 5. 1954 R E c R mm "ML E Mn. N u G E A L H W gw w 5 m m n F W I. 6 0 4 A M 4 4 fi'mnumulz. I 2 J m M M ||ll|| F 2 T 2 FRPL 2 United Sna m O BOTTLE OPENER WITH MAGNETIC CAP RETAINER Application March 5, 1954, Serial No. 414,251

2 Claims. or. 81-31) This invention relates to improvements in bottle openers for removing crown type bottle caps, and has particular reference to improvements in wall mounted openers of the kind described and claimed in Patent No. 2,565,775 of August 28, 1951.

The chief object of the present invention resides in the provision of a bottle opener, constructed and arranged so as to retain the detached bottle cap, and in a manner to allow the said cap to be conveniently removed from the opener for deposit in a suitable receptacle. Heretofore, wall type openers either had no provisions for collecting the removed caps, or more often, provide a wall receptacle below the opener to receive them. Such a receptacle requires appreciable wall space and generally constitutes an unsightly addition to the opener. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved opener of the character described, which occupies relatively little wall Space, and eliminates the need for an accompanying receptacle.

This object is achieved by the provision of improved magnetic means for catching and retaining the crown cap, following the removal thereof, in a position such that the cap may be lifted away from the device and deposited in any convenient receptacle. The invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of the opener parts, whereby the bottle top is adapted to be captured, following its removal, and thereafter guidingly directed onto magnetic holder which is arranged to catch and retain the cap in a position whereby it is freely accessible to the hand for removal and disposition. These and other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear from the detailed description of the invention which follows, reference being made therein to the accompanying drawing of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a bottle opener constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view at line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line 44 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring now by numerals of reference to the drawing a housing shell indicated generally at is secured to a base plate 11 by rivets 12. The base plate continues downwardly beyond the lower extremity of the shell in the formation of a tail piece or bracket 13, which bracket extends angularly from the plane of the base plate 12 so as to underlie the bottom wall of housing 10. As a means for securing the assembly to the wall or other vertical support there is provided a wall plate 14, the lateral margins of which are bent so as to form grooves 15 of downwardly convergent trend, said grooves being adapted to receive, detachably, the laterally projecting tongues 16 which are struck from the material of the base plate 11. The described wall plate assembly is of a type now in common use for the mounting of can openers and other kitchen appliances.

2,762,246 Patented Sept. 11, 1956 The housing shell 10 has an arcuate top wall 20, side wall portions 21, a front wall 22 that slopes downwardly and inwardly from the outer margin of the top wall 20, and a bottom wall 23. Front wall 22 is largely constituted by the margin or rim portion surrounding an aperture 24, through which aperture the capped upper end of a bottle or the like is adapted to be passed into the interior of the housing shell, as best. appears in Fig. 2. The material of the front wall 22 surrounding the front wall opening 24 is turned inwardly as at 25 in the formation of a tapered throat, to facilitate the insertion of the capped end of a bottle into the housing.

The bottom wall 23 is provided with an elongate discharge opening 26. A flange 27 surrounds the described body shell, constituting integral continuations of the ,described wall portions. The marginal edges of the flange 27 are turned inwardly in the provision of a lip 30 that abuts the base plate 11 and gives a trim, neat edgewise appearance to' the assembly.

Bottle decapping means disposed within the housing 10 comprise a strip or bar 31, preferably of resilient yieldable metal, the outer end of which bar is bent to hook form as shown, indicated at 32, the hooked end 32 being arranged to lie behind the plane of the front wall open-- ing and to protrude into the inlet passage defined thereby, from its upper side. The decapping bar 31 is fixedly secured at its inner end, by a rivet or the like 34, to the sloping shoulder portion 35 of a bracket 36. Bracket 36 below the shoulder 34, extends inwardly and downwardly substantially in parallelism with the plane of the front wall 22 of the housing, being spaced from the inner extremities of the throat opening 25, a distance slightly greater than that of the depth or height dimension of a standard crown cap. The portion of the bracket that confronts the opening 24 constitutes an abutment and bearing surface for the fulcruming of the cap during the removal process. Moreover, it coacts with the front and side wall portions of the housing in defining a passageway for guiding the bottle cap after its removal to the discharge opening 26 and through said opening to the magnetic retaining means located below the housing.

The bottle cap is adapted to be captured by the magnetic means which are mounted on the tail piece 13 of the base plate 11. Such means include a shallow circular receptacle 40'having an outwardly turned peripheral flange 41. The receptacle 40 is secured by a rivet or other suitable means 42 to the tail piece 13. Disposed within the receptacle 40 is a permanent magnet 43 preferably formed of an alloy of the alnminum-nickel-cobalt variety. The magnet 43 may be loosely retained in the receptacle 40. A cap retains the magnet in the receptacle 4i) and may be conveniently produced in the manner of a crown bottle cap. It is retained in place by crimping its marginal flange about the peripheral flange 41 of the magnet receptacle.

The device of my invention functions in the following manner:

The upper end of a capped bottle or the like is inserted in and extended through the opening 24 in the front wall of the housing. In so doing it displaces the cap extractor bar 31 upwardly to permit the cap of the bottle to pass inwardly beyond the hook portion 32, which hook portion reengages the cap below its crimped flange. The extractor bar 31 presses downwardly on the bottle cap causing it to seat firmly upon the lower rim portion of the throat 25.

Now, by pressing the bottle downwardly so as to cause the cap to pivot against the plate 36, the crown cap is caused to be lifted off of the bottle top by the hooked extractor bar 31. Removal of the upper end of the bottle from the front wall opening 24 frees the cap and allows it to drop downwardly through the passage between the bracket plate 36 and the front wall of the housing, and to drop outwardly of the said housing through the discharge opening 26,. Asthe removed cap drops, it encounters the sloping surface of the underlying magnet assembly and is caused to adhere thereto, as best appears in .Fig. 2. The removed cap may then be withdrawn from the magnet and deposited in any suitable container. A-second bottle may be inserted in the device and its cap removed before ridding the magnet of the first cap. When the first cap is withdrawn vthe second cap will drop completely outwardly through the 'opening 26 and becomes captured by the magnet for its subsequent removal.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by 'Letters Patent is: v i

1. An opener for containers sealed by crown caps, comprising a hollow body having a front wall provided with an aperture adapted to receive the cap-sealed end of a container, means within said body for detaching the cap from the container, said body having an opening in the lower side thereof for the gravity discharge of the removed cap, and magnetic means including a cap-engaging surface located below said lower side opening and adapted to engage thereon the cap after'it has passed through said lower side opening, a magnet located at one side of said surface, and adapted to retain the cap on said surface, said surface and magnet being located below the side opening a distance so that a cap retained on the surface. prevents atlotliterv can subsequently detached from passing completely through said lower side opening until removal of the first mentioned cap.

2. An opener for containers sealed by crown caps comprising a hollow body having a front Wall provided with an aperture, an inner partition spaced from the front wall, there being an opening in the body forwardly of said partition for the escape of removed caps, a cap-engaging and -removing member mounted within the body, a bracket element projecting from the lower side of said body, a magnetic means mounted on said bracket, said means including a sloping cap-engaging surface extending downwardly in a direction away from the wall, said sloping surface being located'below said opening, and adapted to engage the cap after it has passed through said opening, a magnet located below said sloping surface, and adapted to retain the cap on said sloping surface, said surface and said magnet being located below the opening for a predetermined distance so that a cap retained on the sloping surface Preventsanother cap subsequently detached from passing completely through Said opening until removal of the first mentioned cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,506,450 Grey May 2, 1950 2,565,775 Mendenhall Aug. 28, 1951 2,674,909 Morris Apr. 13, 1954 

